Hime

(Marina)
2353 Lombard St.  
415-931-7900 Map it
www.himerestaurant.com

$$$
Japanese
good for groups, open 7 days, quiet, romantic, take-out

SCENE: Don’t judge Hime (pronounced HEE-may) by its Lombard Street location, in the midst of SF’s motel alley. The interior is modern, almost clubby, with a bar and lounge in back for those craving nothing more than a glass of cold sake and some tempura.

EATS: At one of the best Japanese restaurants to open here in recent years, it only takes a bite of the izakaya food (Japanese-style small plates) to know you’re in the hands of a chef who knows his craft. Chef Kunihiro Kinda, who moved here recently from Osaka, spent years working at kaiseki restaurants (which serve a style of cooking that originated as part of the Japanese tea ceremony). The results show in such dishes as the Japanese Garden—humble poached vegetables, like daikon and kabocha squash, raised to new heights—and a ice-filled bowl topped with sashimi, including buttery bluefin tuna belly and spoonfuls of unctuous Santa Barbara uni.